mccoubray



(No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet 2..

- T. McGOUBRAY.

INTERIOR TELEPHONE SYSTEM. I No. 516,506. Patented Mar. 13, 1894.

3007; Keeper ml NATIONAL Lmoewumma OOUPANI. WAININOTON. B. c

3 Sheets-Sheet .3.

(No Model.) T. MGGOUBRAY,

INTERIOR TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

Patented Max-Q13, 1894.

wanes ado I V 3 5 I 9513 IH AY aftozneqj uw L l I 3 UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.-

THOMAS MCCOUBRAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

lNTERIOR TELEPHONE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,506, dated March 13,1894.

Application filed December 4, 1393. Serial No. 492,669- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS MOCOUBRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have made a new and useful Invention in Systems of Telephonic Intercommunication, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is directed particularly to improvements in that type of telephone systems wherein each operator or user of the apparatus is, by the arrangement of circuits and interconnecting apparatus, enabled to instantly put his own instruments into connection with those of any other operator or user of the same system, and its objects are: First, to so simplify the arrangement of circuits switching and calling apparatus that a minimum amount of battery is used and to so locate this battery or equivalent source of electrical energy that it may be readily examined cleaned or repaired; thereby greatly decreasing the cost of the operation of the plant and correspondingly increasing its efficiency. Second, to so simplify the calling or signaling apparatus that little liability of mistakes in signaling will occur and that the apparatus will be compact in structure and easily comprehended by any persons even though not at first conversant with its mode of operation. Third, to provide a simple cheap and efficient means for switching the call bells and the telephone transmitters and receivers alternately into and out of circuit. These objects are fully attained by the apparatus hereinafter described, the especial features of novelty being particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Referring now to the drawings: Figure l is a plan view of one of my improved signaling keys designed for use in a system of nine operators or users. Fig. 2is a similar view of this portion of the apparatus as it appears with the top plate or cover removed. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same portion of the apparatus as seen looking at Fig. 1 from-the bottom toward the top of the sheet. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through Fig. 1 on the line 4-4 and as seen looking in the direction of the arrows from the righttothe left side of the drawings. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the circuit connections, signaling keys and telephone transmitters and receivers for a system comprising three users instruments complete. Fig. 6 is part elevational part diagrammaticview of a novel switch for transferring the circuit from the call bells to the transmitters and receivers and vice versa;

In Figs. 1 and 2, A is a base plate of wood, hard rubber or other insulating material and is preferably of quadrant or semi-circular shape dependent upon the number of users, or operators circuits.

A A are Wooden strips or blocks secured to the base plate A by screws 0, c, c, c, which also hold a lid or cover 0 in place, the free edge of said lid being of circular contour corresponding to that of the base plate.

H is a key lever made in two parts, the inner part It being of metal while the outer part is of insulating material and carries two sets of bridging contact plates 8 s andakey knob H. This key is pivotally secured through a plate or standard I and pivot rod or bolt n to the base A so as to admit of lateral motion in either direction and is secured to the standard by screw trunnions t' after the manner of pivoting Morse keys.

8 is a retractile spring resting on the plate I and under the key lever, its function being to hold this leverin its upper position against the under side of a curved metal contact plate at secured to the base plate A by screws or pins 61 61 e, e, g are cont-act plates of curvilinear fgrng sgcured to the base plate A by screws 6 e 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, &c., to 8 are conducting contacts connected each directly to a users wire as will be described more particularly in conment being advantageous in large business houses or on board vessels or in analogous places where the system is adapted for use.

Referring now to Fig. 5, Iwill describe the circuit relations of a system of three sets of users instruments as there illustrated, it bein g obvious that for anylarger number of instruments a mere duplication of circuit connections is made for each additional set of instruments.

B is a battery or other equivalent source of electrical energy located at any preferred point in the system, and w w are feeders or conducting leads or wires extending from opposite poles of the battery throughout the building or system to points accessible to all users instruments. One of these wires 10 might be dispensed with in a building or system where gas or steam pipes are accessible will be fully understood by those skilled in the art.

w, 10 10 are individual users or operators wires extending also throughout the building or system so as to be each accessible to that of every other users wire.

to, 10 'w are wires running direct from one of the battery wires to tothe pivoted standards n of the keys H.

10*, 10 w are wires running from the other battery wire to to the contact plates 6, e, e on the base plates A, A, A.

10 10 10 are wires running, the one on the right at station No. 3, from contact 5 to wire to; the one inthe center at station No. 2 from contact plate g to wire 20 andthe one on the left at station No. 1 from contact 4. to wire 10 The wires w, 20 w and 20 w 20 respectively bear the same relation to wires to and 1.0 and the contact plates 9 g as do the wires 10 to the contact plates 6 and wire to as just described and as will be perfectly apparent on inspection of the drawings.

Telephone transmitters and receivers and trembler call bells of well known form are located at eachstation in the circuits to", w connected respectively to the contact plates d, e and g as shown at stations No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a novel form of switch for transferring the circuit from the call bells T B to the receivers T R and vice versa. In this switch the receiver T R is pivotally secured. to its base or support Q by a hinge rand the conductor a is led to a contact spring S secured to the base Qra corresponding contact plate S being securedto the transmitter box T R the arrangement being such that when the instrument is tilted into the position shown in dotted lines the bell circuit will. be broken between'the spring S and contact plate S. Inasmuch asthe call this particular on referring to Fig. 6in connection with the description of the mode of operation of the system which I will now make, referring to Fig. 5 in particular. An inspection of this figure will reveal the fact that the system is properly speaking an open circuit system and battery is used only while operators or users are signaling or talking. Suppose first, that the superintendent whose instrument is at station No. 3 wishes to call the bookkeeper whose instrument is at station No. 1, it being understood that all of the users instruments are duplicates, except that each users title is left off his own instrument, the circuit connections being such that when any key is depressed opposite the name on the top of the instrument that person will be called and conversation may ensue between i the caller andthe called only. The operator at 1 station No. 3 therefore swings his key H about its pivot until the outer of the yielding spring contacts 5 lies over the contact point No.- 1

plete electrical circuit is established from the pole of the battery B as follows: by

lower wire w, wire 10 atstationlNo. 3, contact plate 6, bridging contacts 8' (see Fig. 2),.con-

tact plate e, wire 10 to receiver,through the call bell to wire 10 contact plate g at Sta tion No. 3; bridging contacts 8 (see Fig. 3), contact point 1, wire 20, wire w, wire to at station No. 1, wire to tocall bell, wire 10 to contact plate d and contact d on the top of.

key H (see Fig. at), through pivot standard at and wire v.0 wire to topole of: battery B This rings the trembler bells atboth stations continuously while key H is held down at station No. 3. The bookkeeper or person called on answering may either momentarily depress his key thereby breaking the bell circuit or by taking up his hand phone T R may rupture the bell circuit as does also the superintendent when he learns his call has been heard. Conversation therefore on sues so long as the superintendent holds his key depressed; or if he wishes to-lock his key in position he may do so by carrying it slightly to the left under the ledge or. projection B, in which position it will remain until manually released. In asimilar mannor the manager at station No. 2 by depress ing hiskey when over contact 3 may call the superintendent or by placing it over contact 1 may callthe bookkeeper. In like manner any operator may call any other at will or several may call at once,.the battery 13 being then used in multiple arc relation.

WVith the described arrangement of apparatus I am enabled to do, with a single signaling key or switch at each station, that which has heretofore required two and even a greater number of keys or switches. By using a single battery I am'enabled to locate it in a position where it will give noannoyance to theusers or operators and to place it always under the scrutiny of the person having charge of such matters without necessitating a daily visitation to different parts of the system or building where the apparatus is.

torn by manipulating said key or switch asdescribed and this without limiting myself to any special form .of key such as that shown and described. Nor do I limit the application of the apparatus herein described to telephonic systems as it obviously may be used in any place where intercommunicating signals are to be transmitted as in hotels; fire alarm stations, factories and the like, and my claims comprehend all.such analogous uses in the electrical art whether used with or without telephonic apparatus. I believe it is also new with me to so arrange the circuits and. circuit connections, switches, call bells and telephonic instruments in a system of telephonic intercommunication thatwhen a signal is transmitted and conversation had both operators will be automatically warned by the ringing of the call bells on restoring their hand phones to normal position that the signaling circuit should be placed in normal condition by releasing the signaling key or switch and my claims are also generic as to this feature.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A signaling system comprising an electrical generator, a series of pivoted keys or switches permanently. connected all to one pole of said generator, a series of signaling receiving instruments, one for each key or switch, a series of normally open contacts for each of said keys and electrical connections between said normally open contacts the signal receiving instruments and the other pole of the generator, whereby an operator at any key or switch may actuate the signal receiving instrument of any other operator in the system, substantially as described.

2. A signaling system comprising an electrical generator, a series of pivoted keys or switches permanently connected all to one pole of said generator and temporarily connected on their back stops each to its own signal receiving instrument; a series of normally open contacts for each of said keys, each set of such contacts having electrical connections with the signal receiving instruments of all of the other operators or users and additional circuitcon-nections to the other pole .of the generator, substantially as de scribed. 3. A signaling system comprising an electrical generator having multiple arc connections from one of its poles with a series of pivoted switches or keys and through the back contacts thereof to signal receiving. instru? ments, in combination with normally open front contacts at each key or switch and circuit connections therefrom to and through each outlying signal receiving apparatus and additional circuit connections permanently connected to the other pole of the battery, each of said keys being adapted to close the circuit from the generator to and through its own and any outlying signal receiving apparatus of the entire system, substantially as de-. scribed. 4. A signal transmitting key or switch having circuit connections on one side to one pole of an electrical generator and through its back stop to signal receiving apparatus, and provided with a number of normally open front contacts operatively connected each with independent outlying signal receiving apparatus and with the other pole of an electrical generator, the movable part of said switch'being adapted to make contact withv any one of said open contacts and to operate simultaneously the signal receiving apparatus at the home and any one of thedistant or outlying stations. 7

5. A signal transmitting key or switch provided with means for connecting it to one pole of an electrical generator and a number of normally open contacts adapted to be connected to independent signal receiving apparatus and the other pole of said generator, the movable part of said key being pivotally secured and provided with bridging contacts for effecting circuit connections through the normally open contacts and the signal receiving apparatus in any desired order, substantially as described.

6. Asignal transmitting key or switch pivotally secured to a base provided with stationary contact plates and a series of fixed contacts normally connected to independent signal receiving instruments, in combination with pairs of bridging contacts carried by the pivoted key lever for closing the circuit'to any one of the outlying signal receiving instruments through an electrical generator common to all of said receiving instruments.

7. A signal transmitting key or switch pivotally secured to a base which carries also a series of normally open contacts radially dis-. posed, said key lever being provided with electrical contacts for closing the circuit through any one of said fixed contacts, in combination with hooks or catches for. temporarily looking or securing the key lever in .a depressed position over any one of said contacts, substantially as described.

8. A signal transmitting key or switch pivotally secured to a base provided with normally open radially disposed contacts and additional contacts carried by the key lever for closing the circuit through anyone of said fixed contacts, in combination with books or catches for temporarily looking or securing the key lever in a depressed position over any one of said fixed contacts, substantially as described.

9. A telephone pivotally secured to a portable base or support, in combination with switching contacts between the base and the telephone, whereby when the latter is tilted to one side the circuit connections are changed, substantially as shown.

10. A telephone secured to a portable base by one or more hinges in combination with switching contacts secured respectively to the telephone and the base, and circuit connections whereby when the phone is tilted to one side the necessary circuit changes are made,

11. A hand telephone hinged to a portable base, circuit connections carried respectively by the base and the telephone and additional circuit connections running from the latter and a call bell, whereby the desired circuit changes may be effected through the telephone or the hell by tilting the telephone in either direction.

12. A system of telephonic intercommunication embracing a pivoted signaling key, signal calling mechanism and a telephonic transmitter and receiver at each users station, in combination with a single battery having circuit connections and operatively connected to switching mechanism for utilizing said battery for the purpose of signaling or talking at the pleasure of the users; the circuit connections being such that the call bells will be rung continuously on restoring either telephone to its normalposition unless the switch or key at the calling station be first restored to its normal position.

13. A system of telephonic intercommunication embracing signal transmitters, signal call mechanism and a telephonic transmitter and receiver at each station, with an electrical generator common to all the apparatus, and switching mechanism at each station consisting of a pivoted key lever provided with. means for temporarily looking or securing in closed position, in combination with switches between the telephonic transmitters and the call bells and circuit connections whereby the signaling instruments are replaced by the telephonic instruments and vice versa and the signaling receivers caused to act continuously unless the switch at the calling station be restored to normal position after the telephones have been used.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th day of November,

THOMAS MOOOUBRAY. Witnesses:

O. J. KINTNER, M. M. ROBINSON. 

